1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heat exchanger support structure of a motor vehicle and a heat exchanger supporting method for supporting a motor fan and its electric motor on a motor fan shroud or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
A heat exchanger support structure of this kind is disclosed in Japanese patent laying-open publication (Tokkaihei) No. 2002-114025. This support structure has a radiator for cooling coolant of an engine, a condenser for cooling refrigerant of an air conditioner, and a motor fan and an electric motor which are located inside of and supported to a motor fan shroud. The radiator is arranged between the condenser and the fan shroud, so that the condenser is held by fixtures and bolts on the one side of the radiator and the fan shroud is directly bolted on the opposite side thereof.
A problem with the above known conventional support structure is that vibration of the electric motor due to dynamic imbalance of the motor fan is directly transmitted to the fan shroud, and then to the radiator and the condenser, and still further to a vehicle body through radiator mounting rubbers consequently degenerating a vibration performance and a noise level of a motor vehicle and impairing ride quality.
Another heat exchanger support structure of this kind is disclosed in Japanese patent laying-open publication (Tokkaihei) No. 2002-160665. In this support structure, a motor fan shroud supports an electric motor fan unit and is separated from a radiator or a condenser to be integrally formed with a radiator core support mounted to a front end portion of a motor vehicle.
A problem with this conventional support structure is that vibration of the electric motor is directly transmitted to the fan shroud, then to the radiator core support and further, to the vehicle body, consequently degenerating a vibration performance and a noise level of a motor vehicle and impairing ride quality.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a heat exchanger support structure of a motor vehicle which overcomes the foregoing drawbacks and which is capable of suppressing vibration transmitted from an electric motor driving a motor fan to a heat exchanger and a motor vehicle body due to dynamic imbalance of the motor fan.